


what you gon' do when there's blood in the water

by deandratb



Series: Maybe In Another Life [3]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-03 22:35:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16334528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deandratb/pseuds/deandratb
Summary: While FP sits in a holding cell, waiting to pay for the crimes he did commit, he receives a surprise visitor. Fits roughly at the beginning of "The Sweet Hereafter."





	what you gon' do when there's blood in the water

**Author's Note:**

  * For [snookolive](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snookolive/gifts).



> Just a little fun with these two, based off the lyric prompt I also used for the title.

The sound of footsteps woke FP long before the deputy opened his cell door. Clifford Blossom might be dead, but the entire Blossom empire, the whole twisted family, was still out there--and it didn’t matter that before the truth came out, FP had kept his mouth shut and taken the fall. He knew exactly how little he was worth to someone like Penelope Blossom, or any of her vengeful kin.

So FP was sleeping with one eye open, listening and watching as the hours passed him by. If the corrupt system was coming for him, he wouldn’t go down easy.

While he was braced for danger, he didn’t expect a 2am visitor. Especially not Alice.

He never expected Alice.

She walked toward him in the flickering florescent light of the holding pen, wearing yesterday’s clothes. FP couldn’t remember the last time he had seen her looking so...natural. No makeup, her hair falling in messy waves down to her shoulders, her eyes bright and worried rather than distant and cold.

“FP.”

Alice glanced at the deputy behind her. The man left them alone without a word.

“Alice, what are you doing here?”

“I had to see you.”

“Why? How did you get in?”

“It had to be now. Hal can’t--no one can know. I paid the night deputy to let me interview you for the early edition without logging my visit.”

FP shifted where he sat. “You’re here for the paper?”

“I am writing a story...but no. That was just the easiest way I could think of, to explain what I’m doing here. If anyone asks, they’ll believe it, because I have a similar arrangement with the coroner’s office.”

“Huh. If you’re not here for the paper, then what in hell are you here for?”

“You.”

He blinked at her. It still amazed Alice, how quickly the years carved into FP’s face fell away whenever they spoke. He looked so young again sometimes, she could almost pretend none of it ever happened.

“You just wanna...talk.”

“I--yes.”

“About what?”

Faced with his direct stare, Alice couldn't find the words to explain sneaking out of the bed she shared with her husband. After all, what could she really say that would make sense? _I realized I wouldn’t be seeing you around town anymore and even though I hated bumping into you, I never wanted it to stop?_

“You made your confession,” she said instead, watching emotions flicker across his face. Regret. Anger. Defiance. “I’ve come to give you mine.”

“Who did **you** bury in the river?”

“Nice, FP. Very nice.” Alice stepped closer. “I’m aware of what you’re looking at, the years they’ll ask for if you don’t cooperate.”

“You’d be the first to tell them, I’ve never been very cooperative.”

She shook her head. “You have your moments. And it’s not too late. All you have to do is tell the truth. The whole truth. You could go home, back with your son.”

“Never gonna happen, and you know it. You know why better than anybody, Alice. You can’t ask me--”

“I’m not. I’m just saying, you could save yourself and your family a lot of trouble. Jughead's already living with the stigma of your incarceration...and adding to that, having to go live on the Southside.”

“Since when do you care about Jughead?”

“Betty cares. My daughter loves your son, FP. She’s in tears over it.”

“You hate that they're together.”

She scoffed. “What, and you like it? You have to admit, FP, it’s pretty strange. Them...us.”

“If I had a problem with Jug dating Betty, that would make me a hypocrite,” he replied. “I’m no hypocrite.”

“What--”

“Have you seen the way he looks at her? How happy they are?”

Alice hesitated. “I’ve seen it.”

“Remind you of anyone?”

A longer pause.

“Maybe.”

“Well, for me it’s like looking in a damn mirror. Minus a couple decades. I’m not gonna sit here all high and mighty and say your daughter isn’t good enough for my son--”

“Hey, that’s not...” When he raised his eyebrows, she stopped herself, and sighed. “Fine. Maybe you’re right. Maybe our past is what makes it so hard for me, to sit back and watch it all play out.”

FP got up and crossed to where Alice waited. “Betty and Jughead are nothing like we were then. Honestly, in some ways, they’re better.”

“I still worry. I can’t help it.”

“I know. Me too," he admitted. "But our mistakes are in the past. They’ll make their own.”

She smiled a little. “That’s what worries me.”

“Eh, you do the best you can. Betty has you.”

“And Jughead?”

“He’s a survivor, like his old man. He’ll be fine. Anyway, you don’t have to worry about my family, Alice. Serpents look after their own. I know it’s been awhile, but I’m sure you remember that.”

“I do.” Alice reached a hand out, rested it on top of his where they were curled around the bars, before catching herself. She pulled back like he was on fire.

“Has...has he been to see you?”

“Jug? Yeah, he visits. I’m sure he’ll be by again tomorrow.”

“What have you told him, about your decision?”

“The truth.” FP grinned at her, the same sad, brittle smile she used to see on the boy she loved. “That’s all I’ve got left to give him, now. It’s the least I can do.”

Alice cleared her throat. “Which brings us to why I’m here. FP, this was impulsive and I’m sure I'll regret it in the morning, but I needed to see you before they take you away. I owe you the truth, too.”

“Which is?”

“When you confessed, and they arrested you, I told myself that after so many years, and so much heartache, anything was possible. That you’re dangerous, that I don’t know you anymore.”

“Uh-huh.”

“But it was useless. I was never able to talk myself into believing it.”

“That I’m dangerous?”

“Oh, I’ve always known that." Alice dismissed the idea with a flick of her hand. "I never believed, though, that you did it. That you actually killed Jason. I’m certain you’ve done a lot of things since high school, FP, but you’re not a murderer.”

“You’re right,” he pointed out. “It’s been a lot of years, Alice. How would you know anything about me? What I’m capable of?”

“I just do. And then we found out it was Hal who stole the files, and I saw the video of Jason’s murder, and I was so glad I was right. But I already knew. That’s never been who you are, not deep down. Your bark is always worse than your bite.”

FP smirked. “And I only bite with permission.”

Alice fought against her answering smile. No need to fall into old habits, not when that was so easy to do around him.

She had a family to go home to. A life on the Northside--one that was a little pale, a little tired, if she thought about it with only the bars between them.

She’d fought too hard for that life to lose her grip on it now. Especially with the sins of her past sitting there aiming that devil smile her way, looking rough and ready and like he missed her as much as she missed him in weak moments.

“I should go,” Alice murmured. She didn’t move, and his smile faded.

“Yeah. You should. Gotta get home, before anybody wakes up. What would he do, if he knew you were here, Alice? What would Hal say?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“If only that were true.” Damn them both to hell, but he wished she wasn’t going.

He wished she’d never come.

“Go on, Alice. Go home. You said your piece.”

She nodded, pressing her lips together. “There’s one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Whatever...happens, whatever’s going to happen next...”

“Hmm?”

She held his gaze for an endless, charged moment, before shaking her head and standing up. Whatever she’d been about to say, he could tell she changed her mind. Or lost her nerve. That was rare for Alice Cooper. The possibilities she left unspoken would haunt his dreams for days.

“Take care of yourself, FP.” She smoothed her hair down and waved to the deputy. “Jughead isn’t the only person who’s worried about you in here.”

“Quite the sentiment,” he said, watching her with narrowed eyes. “You mean it?”

“When was the last time I lied to you?”

A dodge, and they both knew it. FP gripped then released the bars, like he would've followed her and pressed the point if he could. “Right. Well, Alice, thanks for stopping by.”

He waited until she was almost out of earshot before he let his final words drift her way.

“If you mean it, you better prove it.”

She let her own grin bloom as she stepped out into the dark night. FP’s voice stayed with her all the way home.

“See ya soon, Alice.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title prompt borrowed from "Blood // Water" by grandson.


End file.
